Where We Live, Part 7: The Village Defibrillator and Other Village Sights

You see the iconic red phone booth in this picture? It's our village phone booth. But it's not really a phone booth anymore. No, it's a...



defibrillator, of course! Please allow me to introduce you to our very own village defibrillator. About a decade ago BT started closing down phone booths (due to underuse). But people protested since the booths were so iconic. So BT gave the option of paying a sum to keep the line if villages wanted to raise the money. Some villages do still have their phones. But the vast majority opted for a second option, to pay a very small sum to keep the phone booth, but to have the line disconnected.

 In most of these villages, they have now installed defibrillators. So if any of you have a heart attack when you come to visit, rest assured you will be well cared for (in true British red fashion.) Although I'm not sure the exact logistics of getting someone having a heart attack down to the village phone booth to use it. Or maybe it's portable? Fortunately, we've never seen it in use, and hopefully never will. But it is there just in case. (As am I, snapping the picture, captured forever in the reflection, apparently...)


In other village news, our village hall is almost done with renovations (or refurbishment, as they like to say here.) We helped with some cleaning and final touches last Saturday, but they were running behind and said they'll need more help this weekend. It's supposed to open the following week, with a big celebration. It will be too late for us to join, but we look forward to attending various village functions here once it's up and running.


And finally, a last stop in the village-infrastructure tour, one of the many village water pumps. The entire village received its water supply from underground springs and water (one of which is just one house up the hill from ours and still gurgling merrily). Main water arrived in the village in the 1950s after the war, so these pumps are no longer in use. I sort of wish they still were (but not when I'm getting ready for a nice warm shower...)


And here is a snapshot of the hill leading down to our cottage from the main part of the village. Some of the buildings are from the 16th century. This is a strange picture, of trashcans and a stone wall, so I'm not sure why I took it, but there you have it :)




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